1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to an end restraint used on bins for shipping articles, e.g., glass sheets, automotive backlites, automotive windshields or automotive sidelights, and more particularly, to end restraints for preventing longitudinal motion and dampening longitudinal forces acting on the articles during transit.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problems.
Articles, e.g., glass sheets, automotive backlites, automotive windshields, or automotive sidelights are normally shipped to automotive manufacturers in bins or racks.
During shipment, e.g., by rail car or truck, the articles in the bins are subjected to transportation forces. For example, the articles are subjected to longitudinal forces which act to move the articles toward and away from the sidewalls of the bin, i.e., along a longitudinal reciprocating path.
These forces which act on the articles are caused by the motion of the rail car or truck as it moves along the rails or road respectively. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the longitudinal forces can damage the articles, especially glass articles, during transit making them unusable.
In general, to prevent damage to the articles, e.g., automotive backlites, during shipping, the backlites are normally loaded in a bin in a vertical position with an edge of the backlites resting on a resilient pad and tilted toward the back wall of the bin for packing stability. The backlites are secured in the bin with restraint devices.
To minimize and/or cancel longitudinal forces of the backlites during transit, dunnage, e.g., pieces of wood and corrigated cardboard are secured between the sides of the backlites and the sidewalls of the bin. This is undesirable because (1) after the bin is unloaded, the dunnage has to be disposed of creating a solid waste problem and (2) the dunnage becomes compressed during transit by the longitudinal forces moving the sides of the backlites against the dunnage thereby increasing the longitudinal reciprocating path. When this occurs, the backlites travel along an increased longitudinal reciprocating path thereby increasing the probability of damaging the sides of the backlites.
It would be advantageous, therefore, if end restraints for shipping articles were available that did not have the drawbacks or limitations of the prior art. More particularly, it would be advantageous to provide a bin with an end restraint system that eliminated the solid waste disposal problem and do not compress to increase the longitudinal reciprocating path.